The Queen and the Quarian
by Celdarion
Summary: Daughter of a legend, Elsa Shepard followed her father's footsteps in the Alliance Navy. While on a reconnaissance mission in the Shrike Abyssal, she finds herself in the company of a young researcher, and soon she finds herself hopelessly in love. But something far more sinister lurks in the shadows, and it's closer than anyone thinks...
1. Here We Go

**This is my second fanfiction. I love both Frozen and Mass Effect, so I decided to write this. I'm new to writing, so it may not be the best, but please bear with me.**

**I'd like to dedicate this work to my wonderful friend TalkElsannaToMe. A truly amazing person whose support has been fantastic, without her there's no way you'd be reading it now. **

**You're the best, and truly one of a kind. So this is for you :)**

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><p><strong>Cover art is by the aforementioned awesome person! Thank you, so so so much!<strong>

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><p><strong>Act One<br>The Shrike Abyssal**

The shuttlecraft shook violently as it passed through the turbulent atmosphere. Elsa had always despised suborbital flight. The buffeting, the turbulence, the motion sickness, it was often too much to bear. Recently she found herself wondering exactly _why _she had joined the Systems Alliance Navy.

Of course. Her father. The legendary Admiral Shepard, vanquisher of the Reapers. Thirty-one years ago, the Old Machines, as the geth referred to them, returned for the first time in fifty thousand years. Her father had rallied the forces of the galaxy to be the unlikeliest of allies, and together they obliterated the scourge that plagued their homeworlds.

And of course there was her mother, Tali'Zorah. Her father always enjoyed telling the tale of their meeting, how they became fast friends in the confusion of the battles and destruction.

Elsa never knew her real parents. An orphan of the Reaper invasion, she was taken in by the Commander and his new wife, and raised as their own on Tali's homeworld of Rannoch. They were wonderful parents, of course, teaching their child in the ways of the world; their history, the fate of Rannoch, her original homeworld, Earth, to this day she had never visited. There was only one issue, however. Elsa had never seen her mother's face.

As a quarian, Tali was confined to a sealed environmental suit, as a result of her, and all quarians, weakened immune systems. Long ago, upon her return to Rannoch, she removed her mask to gaze upon the sunrise with her eyes for the first time. It was beautiful, and almost worth it. She fell ill, a sickness that almost claimed her life. Afterwards, she never removed her mask again. It would take many generations for the quarians to be able to live without their protection.

Elsa sighed softly.

"Ma'am?"

Elsa turned her head. "Hmm?"

"Are you alright?" asked Lieutenant Lattimore.

"Oh! Yes, fine. Get ready."

The shuttlecraft swept to the surface, kicking up dust and old bones, and landed in the outskirts of the ruined city of Hatash. Formerly the pride of the Vorcha, their volcanic world had been reduced to ashes in the Reaper incursion, yet oddly none had been harvested. Perhaps the Reapers had thought them unworthy. Either way, the Vorcha were all but obliterated.

The shuttle's heavy door swung open, and Elsa stepped out onto the blasted surface, followed by Rachel Lattimore, her second in command and best friend, and Corporal Desolas Victus and Midshipman Hailey Beck. The temperature was scorching, bordering on unbearable. Elsa had never been fond of the heat. She gazed around at the ruined buildings, the sunlight glaring unpleasantly off the brazen stones. Glancing at her map, she turned to her team.

"Alright. We've got a long walk ahead of us. At least ten kilometres, in unpleasant temperatures no less. Stay sharp. Wild animals are abundant here, not to mention any Vorcha that remain will be less than happy to see you."

Lattimore looked nervous. "What do you think we'll find here, Els?"

"I'm not sure, Rachel," Elsa smiled weakly. "The report mentioned a signal not unlike that found in functional Reaper the dangers of even a small piece of equipment, this needs to be investigated."

Victus and Beck exchanged nervous glances.

"All set?" Elsa continued. "Let's move."

They set off into the distance, towards the centre of the large city, weapons at the ready.

Elsa had been in the Alliance Navy since she was nineteen years old. Now at thirty, she had risen through the ranks rapidly, partly due to her father's esteemed position, but mostly due to the fact that she had proven herself worthy countless times in the various skirmishes that had occurred in the past few years. During a brief conflict with the newly-reformed Blue Suns, Elsa saved the lives of not only her entire team, but those of an entire city, including her best friend.  
>Rachel Lattimore had very unexpectedly entered Elsa's life, only half a year ago. Elsa had known people far, far longer, yet she didn't feel as close to them as she does to the young lieutenant. The two immediately bonded, sharing a fondness for the same kinds of music and entertainment, they found themselves becoming fast friends.<p>

Hailey Beck was a hotheaded Interplanetary Combatives Academy graduate, an N6 by the time she was twenty-three, she was well on the way to full progression to N7. Admittedly, Elsa did not care for the young woman. She was rash, vulgar, and stubborn as a varren, though she had proven herself well in the line of duty.

Corporal Desolas Victus, younger brother of the famed Tarquin Victus, was evidently not suited for this particular line of work. The life of military service had been thrust upon him by the Victus dynasty. The young man was visibly trembling, and sweating profusely. Elsa wondered why he was even here at all. Being a Victus was not enough.

The team trudged through the baking sand-blasted ruins of Hatash. Not a soul disturbed them, no Vorcha, varren, or any other galactic pest that usually dwelled in such places, a fact which Elsa was immensely grateful for.

"Far too hot," Victus mumbled.

"You don't say?" Hailey shot back

Desolas looked offended. "I was just making an observation."

"Yeah, well, keep your observations to yourself."

"Excuse me, but I-"

"Problem, you two?" Lattimore piped up.

"Nothing, _lieutenant,_" Beck sneered.

Victus glared. "There's no need to take that tone with her!"

"Shut up, Vicky!"

"I told you _not _to call me that! My name is Victus!"

"Whatever you say, _Vicky_."

Elsa snapped. "Both of you, shut up! Victus, quit whining. Beck, for the love of god, check your attitude!"

Hailey huffed.

The team continued on through the ruins for the next two hours in complete silence. Tension often ran high between them, and Elsa hated to say but most of it stemmed from Beck. The girl was an excellent soldier, yes, but often she was simply...unpleasant.

Victus had been on edge ever since they landed, and was frequently eyeing his surroundings nervously.

"What is it, Desolas?" Lattimore inquired.

"I'm not sure. Something's odd about this place. Where are the Vorcha? We know some survived the Reaper invasion."

"They're not here, idiot." Hailey said scathingly.

"Well, obviously. But what about varren? This place should be overrun!"

"You're complaining about the _lack _of varren?"

"It's not just the varren. There's no birds. No reptilian life either. I haven't even seen a bug!"

"Maybe they saw your face."

Lattimore frowned.

"What is it, Rachel?" Elsa inquired.

"He's right. It's too...dead. There should be at least _some _life here."

Elsa frowned, a shiver traveling up her spine. "Let's move. We're nearly there."

An hour later, according to their instruments, they had arrived at the signal. Or, where the signal should be. Instead, they found nothing except the ruins of the city.

"Where is it?" Victus asked, looking around.

"Beats me." Beck replied, seemingly forgetting to add one of her trademark insults.

"Spread out." Elsa ordered. "Something's got to be around here somewhere."

The team split, each member moving off on paths at right angles to one another. Elsa had not gone ten paces when she heard a scream behind her.

"Rachel?"

There was no sign of her.

"Rachel!" Elsa sprinted over to where her friend had been moments before. Instead of the younger blonde girl, instead there was a perfectly circular hole in the ground. Elsa shot to the edge and collapsed on her knees.

"Rachel!"

There was no reply.

_God, no…_

"Rachel!" Elsa screamed.

"Elsa?" Her best friend's voice drifted up from the depths.

"Oh my god! Rachel, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine! I think I've found from where the signal may be originating. It looks like a bunker or something."

"Fascinating! We're coming down. Hold on. Victus, pass the ropes."

"No need, Elsa. Jump! It looks like a long drop, but it's not. It's only about two metres deep."

"Rachel, I can't even see the bottom!"

"I think it's a hologram of some sort. Looked like the desert suface before I fell in. Trust me, it's fine."

"But I can barely hear you!"

"Sound dampening, maybe? I don't know, but it seems to me that whoever built this thing wanted to keep it private."

"They could've used an ordinary door." Victus muttered.

Elsa rose to her feet and turned to her remaining squadmates. "I'm going in. Wait until I give the all-clear, then follow me through."

Beck and Victus nodded.

Releasing a sigh, Elsa turned once more to face the hole. It looked to be a thousand feet deep. Her heart was hammering, and she was tempted to ask Victus for the rope so she could make a proper descent. But she trusted her friend. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

And jumped.

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><p><strong>So there you have it! My wonderfully derivative piece of work, yes, no doubt it's verbose and poorly structured and overall badly written, but hey. It's all fun :) <strong>

**Stay tuned for Chapter 2!**


	2. The Girl and the City

**Here it is, chapter two! **

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><p>Elsa!"<p>

"Rachel?"

"It's me. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Elsa stood and brushed herself off. The striped kerchief she wore over her face to protect herself from being sandblasted in a gust had slipped down to her neck. No matter, she wouldn't be needing it from now on.

Elsa looked up at the circular opening above her head. She could clearly see Desolas and Hailey peering down at her.

"Come on down!"

A few seconds later there was a solid _thump, _followed quickly by a louder and overall less graceful impact, accompanied with a string of Turian curses.

"Smooth," Hailey remarked, eyeing Victus on the floor, not offering to help him up.

Victus grunted, staggering to his feet, muttering.

"You okay?" Lattimore asked.

"Fine."

"Let's move!" Elsa commanded.

The team set off. Ahead of them was a long stone corridor, lit dimly by sconces set into the walls. The ceiling was very low, occasionally Elsa felt her hair brush against it. Behind her, Victus had resorted to crouching, still grumbling to himself.

"What's that smell?"

Elsa stopped. Lifting her nose, she inhaled deeply. "Smells like someone's lunch."

Hailey raised an eyebrow. "Who could be down here?"

"Maybe someone looking for the same thing we are. Come on."

They moved further down the corridor, and before long they came across an opening in the wall. Turning in, they entered a large room. Sandbags created a barricade, save for a small opening in the centre, through which Elsa could see two figures sitting at a low table.

"Stop right there!"

Elsa froze. Something cold was touching the base of her skull, unmistakeably a gun.

"I don't want to c-"

"Shut up! Get in there. Drop your weapons, all of you!"

Victus surrendered his rifle immediately, however Beck and Lattimore's weapons were trained on the figure behind Elsa.

"Drop them, or she's dead."

"You kill her, then we kill you." Beck snarled.

"Perhaps. But then my friend here will have to exact vengeance." At that moment, a small combat drone flew into view, taking up an attack posture.

The two women slowly lowered their weapons and dropped them to the floor.

"Better," the man said. "Move."

The team walked slowly towards the gap in the sandbags, the cold touch of the muzzle still painfully evident. As they entered the room, Elsa took in her surroundings. Banks of equipment lined the walls, most of it beyond Elsa's comprehension. In the centre of the back wall sat a large shard-like object, about a metre tall. It looked almost like a piece of scrap metal, but on further inspection Elsa found she couldn't quite make out any particular surface. It was as if her eyes got lost while tracing a face or an edge.

"Sit," the man commanded.

Elsa did as she was bid, sitting across the table from the two other strangers. One was a quarian, small and lithe, covered head to foot in an environmental suit. The other was a turian, the plate in front of him the source of the delicious smell. He cocked his head slightly at the sight of Victus, but remained silent.

The man with the gun circled the table and stood behind the other two. Also a quarian, he stood much taller than the other, but he was still not as large as an average human male.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"We could ask you the same-" Beck begun.

"Enough, Hailey." Elsa snapped. "Be civil." She took a deep breath. "Recently, we located a signal emanating from this planet. From this city, to be exact. It was found to be R-, um, found to be something unexpected."

The quarian man sat. "Unexpected how?"

"It hadn't been seen in a long time."

"What was the nature of this signal?"

"I-I really don't think that's necess-"

The man raised his weapon and pointed it squarely between Rachel's eyes. "Tell me."

"Ket! Stop!" The smaller quarian spoke up. A young girl, judging by the sound of her voice.

"Silence! Tell me!"

"It was Reaper."

Ket immediately lowered his gun, and Lattimore let out the breath she'd been holding.

"Reapers!" he snarled. He immediately rose from his chair and stormed out of the room.

"You'll have to forgive Ket," the younger quarian said, "he's under a lot of stress."

"Yeah, no kidding." Hailey muttered.

"What exactly is going on here?" Elsa demanded.

The quarian straightened up in her seat. "Two years ago, we discovered the signal originating from this planet, much as you did. Upon exploration of the ruins of the city, we found the Artifact," gesturing to the shard at the rear of the room. "It's Reaper technology."

"That shouldn't be possible. When the Crucible-"

"Yes, the Crucible destroyed all trace of the Reapers upon activation, I know. What I don't know, is how this piece survived. We've been studying it ever since."

"For two years?"

"Yes."

"But why here? Why not take it back to Rannoch? Or at least off this dismal excuse for a planet?"

The girl hesitated, on the verge of replying. At that moment, Ket hared back into the room.

"Be quiet, girl! What are you telling them?"

"Nothing, Ket."

Elsa quirked an eyebrow at the young woman.

"I know what you must think of him, but he's a good man, really. Without him we wouldn't have gotten nearly this far in studying the Artifact. Allow me to introduce ourselves. This-", she gestured to the unpleasant quarian, "is Ket'Reegar, lead scientist and commander of our expedition. This is Jarl Talid, my associate. And my name is-"

"Enough!" Reegar screamed. "You lot, come with me!" He stormed over to Elsa and grabbed her roughly by the elbow, brandishing his weapon.

"Ket!"

Reegar didn't seem to hear the protests of the younger girl as he ushered the team out of the room at gunpoint and down the hallway. He stopped at an ancient-looking iron gate, and unlocked it to reveal a small stone cell.

"In!"

Slowly, Elsa stepped into the cell, closely followed by Rachel, Desolas, and Hailey.

The cell door slammed, and they were left in darkness.

They had been confined for what seemed like an eternity, though Elsa knew it could not have been more than a few hours. She was cold, hungry, afraid, and her backside was numb from the unyielding floor.

"So…", Victus began, "anyone got any ideas on how to get out of here?"

"For the fourth time, no." Beck snapped.

"Well excuse me for wanting to get out of here!"

"We _all _want to get out of here. Only _some _of us are actually thinking, instead of whining."

"I am not whining!"

"You're whining, Vicky."

"For the hundreth time, I have _told _you not to call me that!"

"Quiet, the pair of you!" Elsa scolded. "I hear something."

"What?"

"Someone's coming."

There was indeed someone approaching, the sound of footsteps was unmistakable. They grew louder until they were outside the cell door, then fell silent. A brief pause, then a key was inserted into the lock, the sound of metal on metal was almost deafening. The door swung open to reveal the young quarian girl.

"You!"

"Yes, me", the quarian replied. "I must apologise for Reegar. I didn't want him to lock you up. In fact, I've come to release you."

"Release us? Why?"

"I need your help. I need to get away from here."

"Why?"

"Reegar wasn't always like this. He was a perfectly amiable man, pleasant to work with, a joy to talk to. But soon after we found the Artifact, he began to change. I know Reaper technology has the power of indoctrination over most sentient life, but this is different from all the reports I've heard. It's almost as if it's simply causing him to lose his mind." The girl paused to take a breath, and to glance quickly over her shoulder. "I didn't even notice it at first. Even a for a year after we discovered the Artifact, Reegar seemed...fine. Different, but overall fine. I just attributed it to stress. But lately he started having outbursts of rage, episodes of confusion. I even found him conversing with himself. And it's not just Reegar! It's affected Talid, as well. Not nearly as severely, though. He's just become extremely quiet, depressed even. He keeps to himself.

But Reegar is dangerous. And that's why I need your help."

Elsa narrowed her eyes at the girl. "If what you say is true...then how do I know that it isn't you who are indoctrinated? And that you are leading us into a trap?"

Before she could respond, a gunshot cracked through the air. Reegar stood at the end of the hallway, mask off. His wide eyes were staring, and his pale skin seemed almost luminescent. The young girl drew a weapon from her holster and tossed it to Elsa, while diving for cover and retrieving a second, concealed gun.

Elsa took cover behind the door with her teammates, while Reegar fired a hail of bullets down the corridor. She returned fire, but none of her shots reached their mark. Taking cover once more, she shielded her head as a fresh storm of bullets blazed past them.

Suddenly, it stopped. The deafening noise ceased, and Elsa braved a look around the door.

Reegar lay flat on his back, a gunshot wound in the place of his eye. Elsa looked around, and the young quarian girl stood there, pistol gripped between shaking hands, panting desperately.

"Are you all right?" Elsa inquired?

"I-I killed him! Oh my god! I killed him! I've never killed anyone before!"

Beck smirked. "Nice shot for someone who's never killed."

"I don't know what happened! I knew I had to do something! I don't think I was even looking, I just did it…"

"Shhh", Elsa comforted, "it's okay. You did well." She took the gun carefully from the girls hands, handing it over her shoulder for Beck to take. Placing her arm around the shaking girl's shoulders, she slowly guided her over Reegar's body and towards the exit. On the way, they encountered Talid's body, his head twisted almost completely around. The young girl shielded her face.

"You know", Elsa said, as they waited for the Normandy's response on the comms, "I never did catch your name."

The young girl looked directly at Elsa, though her face was obscured by her purple mask.

"Anna. My name is Anna."


	3. Revelations

The team awaited the Normandy shuttle anxiously, pacing back and forth. Elsa kept a comforting grip on Anna's shoulders, who was still trembling violently. The wind swept around them, kicking up the sand, stinging Elsa's eyes.

"We can't leave the Artifact here!" Anna shouted over the noise of the wind, her voice barely audible.

"I can't bring that thing on board my ship! At least not until we know more about it."

"Please, Elsa! I've dedicated two years of my life studying it! Reegar died for it!"

"Exactly. Reegar _died. _It's not coming on board. We will notify the Council upon our return. They can handle it from there."

Anna fell silent, staring at her feet.

Elsa felt a strange pang of regret. She was finding herself oddly fond of the young girl, although she had known her for less than twelve hours. She smiled faintly, thinking back to how she met her best friend.

It was on Earth, barely six months ago, on annual leave. She had met a few friends, and was all set of a night of drinking and dancing. But something compelled her to visit the local entertainment centre. She saw an old Earth film about two princesses, one with magical powers. They are separated at a young age, and the story tells the tale of their heartbreaking reunion. Midway through, Elsa's friends left, but not long after a young woman came over and introduced herself. She was a midshipman in the Alliance Navy; Elsa was a lieutenant at that time, and though she was her superior, the two immediately bonded.

"Elsa?"

"Elsa?!"

"Hmm?" Elsa jumped slightly.

"You were miles away," Anna said. "What were you thinking so hard about?"

"Oh, nothing…"

Beside her, Lattimore smiled fondly at Elsa.

Before long, the Kodiak shuttle swept down in front of the party, kicking even more sand and grit into their faces. The door slid open, and a gloved hand reached out. Elsa ushered Anna forward, and she took the hand and pulled her up. Elsa followed, followed closely by Rachel, Hailey, and Desolas.

"Thank you, Williams," a windswept Elsa said to the owner of the gloved hand. The man nodded, and returned to the co-pilot's position.

Elsa and the team took their seats in the rear, with the young quarian sitting next to the blonde. Elsa immediately spoke up.

"You know, Anna is a human name. If I may ask-"

"Why do I have a human name? My mother is human. I'm adopted. My birth parents died long ago, in the conflict with the geth."

"I'm so sorry."

"I don't remember them at all. They died shortly after I was born."

"So, you must be around thirty? I am too. We seem to share the same story. My parents are dead, too. Killed on Earth during the Reaper invasion. I was taken in shortly after the end of the war by Commander Shepard, and his wife, Tali."

"Tali?" Anna asked, straightening up. "That's a quarian name!"

"Yes, she is quarian. I was raised on Rannoch, mainly by her. My father was often off-world. Being an admiral is busy work, it seems."

"But you followed in his footsteps?"  
>"Yes, I did. I'm not sure why, it's almost as if it was meant for me."<p>

"I understand that. My mother is in the Alliance military too. I have no father, though. Mother never married, she seemed to prefer the company of...um...more...frequent partners."  
>Elsa smirked. "That sounds like someone on my crew. You'd like her. I think she has a daughter, though she doesn't mention her a lot."<p>

Anna rubbed her neck. "She actually sounds like Mother. Over the last few years...we've clashed, on more than a few occasions. We haven't spoken in some time."

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't be! I'm fine, and I'm sure she's more than happy with the arrangement." There was a sour note to Anna's voice.

Elsa was tempted to press further, but she decided against it. At that moment, the Kodiak shuttle docked with the Normandy, and the crew disembarked. Elsa led the way to the elevator at the rear of the bay.

"Deck three," she commanded.

The elevator whirred into motion, speeding swiftly upwards. The doors opened, and Lattimore, Victus, and Beck alighted.

"Deck two."

Moments later, Elsa and Anna arrived in the Normandy's CIC. A slender woman of medium build, perhaps in her early fifties, with short cropped graying hair.

"Welcome back, Commander. We were beginning to get worried."

"Thank you, Traynor."

Anna, who had been gazing around the cavernous CIC in awe, suddenly turned towards the older woman.

"_Mother?"_

Elsa gasped. "Mother?!"

Traynor took a step back. "Anna!?"

Elsa was wide-eyed, staring back and forth between her crewmember and the young quarian. "You're her mother?"

Traynor sighed. "Yes, Commander. I took her in, shortly after the Reaper crisis ended. Recently though, things...changed."

Anna huffed.

Traynor continued; "I don't know what went wrong, I tried to do everything a mother should…"

Anna snorted. "What went wrong? Oh, I don't know! How about the fact that you left me with that _witch_ you shacked up with on Rannoch that year! Or the time you sent me to work on that waste extraction vessel with those _creepy _men! I was the only woman there! Environmental suit or no, those men wanted only one thing! That's not even the worst thing! No! You never wanted a _quarian _child! You wanted your own! A _human_ child, your own progeny! But I'm the best you could get, so you settled with me! A nice little trophy you could show off to your friends, "_Oooh, look at me, ever the humanitarian, rescuing poor little girls from warzones!" _And it didn't stop there! You had to try and make me a human! I never got to see Rannoch until four years ago! Nooooo, we were always on Earth, or a _human _colony, doing _human _things. I...I was never good enough for you!"

Traynor stood there, wide-eyed, with her mouth agape and tears welling in her eyes. Anna was panting, fists clenched and chest heaving. Elsa stood between the pair, dumbstruck.

Traynor sniffed. "Is...is that what you really think of me, Anna? After all I've done for you? You would be dead right now if it weren't for me! How dare you! How dare you stand there, look me in the eye, and say that! I love you more than anything in this world, Anna, h-how c-could you s-s-say…" Her words trailed off, and tears began streaming down her face. Without another sound, she turned on her heel and stormed away.

Now it was Anna's turn to sob. Elsa crept towards her, tentatively reaching a hand out towards her shoulder. As they made contact, Anna's entire body seemed to loosen, and she noticeably relaxed.

"Come," Elsa said. She guided the young girl towards the elevator. The doors parted, and she ushered her inside.

"Deck one."

The elevator whirred into motion, and a few seconds later the doors slid open to reveal a dim corridor. They exited, crossed the corridor to a small door, and entered the room.

"Where are we?"

"My cabin," Elsa replied. "I thought we should talk. Please, sit."

Anna obliged, gingerly perching herself on the very edge of a chair. Elsa instead flopped herself down onto her bed, her military façade immediately dissipating. She tore off her boots, tossing them unceremoniously into a corner. Sitting up, she began to unbuckle her body armour, also relocating it to the floor in a chaotic manner. Finally, she was left sitting there in a light undershirt and trousers.

"Much better!" she exclaimed. "I do so hate the heat in that thing. Don't you ever get warm in yours?"

Anna shrugged. "Not especially."

"So," Elsa began. "If I may ask...what happened up on the bridge?"

Anna tensed. "Oh, it's a long story."

"I have time," Elsa smiled.

"Very well, then. My mother found me on Rannoch, shortly after the Reapers were defeated. I was close to death, my environmental suit was breached, and everyone around was dead or dying. I think your father was with her that day. She often spoke very highly of him. He allowed her to take me back to the ship. For two years she raised me there. I don't remember any of it though. And then, the SR-2 was decommissioned. It deeply affected my mother, that ship had become her home, the crew her family. She took me back to Earth, thinking maybe she could rebuild her life. By the time I was old enough to actually remember, she was already trying to shape me into a model daughter, to live her life through mine. At that age, I guess I didn't know any better, but by the time I was a teenager, I knew. I was a human, in every way, except for the mask. I knew nothing of Rannoch, of my people, our culture, nothing! Over the years, it got worse and worse. When I joined the research expedition two years ago, it was the first time I had ever spent time with other quarians! My mother wasn't happy, she told me I betrayed her. I never forgave myself for that. At times I believed her too. I _do _belive her! I did betray her, in a way. She's my mother, who saved my worthless life, a-a-and look h-how i repay her"

Anna broke down. She slipped off the edge of the seat and onto the floor, head buried in her knees, sobbing violently.

Elsa hesitated. She had never been good with episodes of emotional turmoil, either her own or somebody else's. But this girl needed her right now. Kneeling down, she tentatively reached out and lay a hand on Anna's shoulder. In a flash, the quarian whipped round and pulled Elsa into a bone-crushing hug, clinging to her desperately.

"T-thank you," she whispered, "so so much…"

"Least I could do, Anna."

"I don't know what to do...I don't want to be by myself right now, though."

Elsa pulled back slightly. "Would you like to stay here tonight?" She surprised herself at her words. She'd barely known the girl for more than a few hours, and now she was offering to let her sleep in her bed.

"I'd like that. Thank you."

"You're welcome. We'll talk to your mother tomorrow. But for now, just relax."

The pair stayed on the floor for the next few hours, still in their tight embrace, neither one wanting to let the other go.


	4. Rachel

**A/N: So this chapter is a little different, though it may not be immediately apparent. It's not necessarily about the Elsa of this story. It's also about me. I wrote the character of Rachel Lattimore based on my very very good friend TalkElsannaToMe, as an overall thank you for being such an amazing friend :) **

**So, without further ado, let us continue. **

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><p>Elsa gradually awoke from sleep, her face buried in her pillow, limbs sprawled in every direction across her bed. Beside her, Anna was sleeping peacefully, perfectly flat on her back, on top of the covers. Groaning slightly, Elsa slowly clambered out of bed, feeling her joints pop in the process.<p>

Grumbling and muttering to herself, she crossed the room and entered the spacious bathroom. Locking the door behind her, she began to disrobe. Quickly glancing at her slender form in the mirror, she stepped into the shower and turned it on, hot water immediately splashing down upon her. Sighing loudly, the water burning her shoulders, she thought about her life. All the little things that shaped her world up to this point; from joining the military as a young woman, to meeting Rachel, and encountering this quirky young woman Anna. Smiling to herself, she swiftly finished washing herself and stepped out of the shower. Shivering slightly, she reached for her robe and put it on, tying it loosely around herself. She entered the main bedroom to find some clothes for herself, when she came face to face with Anna.

"Oh! Hello, Anna!" She blushed slightly, realising her robe was tied a little too loosely. Rectifying her mistake, she crossed the room to her closet and began removing some clothing.

"Good morning, Commander."

Elsa chuckled. "Oh, please, call me Elsa."

"Elsa. Thank you for allowing me to stay last night."

"You're welcome. But it _was _on the condition that you'd talk to your mother today."

Anna sighed. "I was rather hoping you'd forget about that."

"Not a chance. Now come on, get ready." Elsa crossed the room to her private terminal and quickly dictated a message to the mother of the quarian, instructing to meet in the starboard observation deck in fifteen minutes. Elsa returned to the bathroom and began to change.

Ten minutes later, the pair were in the elevator on their way to deck three. Anna was silent, staring at her feet and wringing her hands. Elsa was her usual composed self, gracefully regarding the closed elevator doors before her. Gradually, it slowed to a halt and the doors slid open. Taking a deep breath, Anna strode out of the elevator and swept off to the left.

"Let's get this over with, then!"

"Anna?"

"Yes?"

"Starboard is this way."

"Oh."

The pair entered the observation deck where Samantha Traynor was waiting. She turned on the spot and immediately paled at the sight of her daughter.

"Hello, Anna."

"Mother."

Elsa glanced between the two women. "You two have a lot to talk about. So talk. And don't leave until you have worked whatever this is between you out!"

And with that, she turned on her heel and strode out.

Elsa was making her way back to the elevator to return to her quarters when she heard a familiar voice to her right.

"Elsa!"

"Rachel! Good to see you!"

The pair embraced briefly. "Likewise," Rachel replied. "Join me for some breakfast?"

Elsa smiled. "I'd love to."

The two young women walked slowly to the officers' mess. Surprisingly, it was almost deserted, with only a few pairs of crewmembers dotted about. The young man in the galley handed Elsa a plate of scrambled eggs on toast.

"Eggs, Rachel?"

Rachel wrinkled her nose. "Ew, no. I hate eggs. Unless they're in rice. I'll take the croissants."

Taking their food, the pair walked to the nearest table. Sitting down with a slight _ooof, _Elsa unfolded her napkin and placed it gently on her lap.

Rachel immediately dove in to her croissants.

"So," she began, "waff you fink ov dis 'rian?"

Elsa smirked. "Excuse me?"

Rachel swallowed, seemingly with great effort. "I said, what do you think of this quarian?"

"Oh!." Elsa frowned at her plate, contemplating the existence of her eggs. "I...she seems pleasant enough. A little shy, a little reserved perhaps, but a decent person. I'm concerned about this rift between her and her mother, however."

"Oh?"

"Yes, it's not a minor spat, either. This is a huge, _huge _quandary they're in. I'm concerned about Traynor, too."

"Yes, I can imagine."

"I'll let them work it out between the two for now, but if this begins to affect Traynor's duties, I'm stepping in. Not that I _want _to, however…"

"Where's she staying?"

"Come again?"

"If they don't work things out, which from the sounds of it they won't, at least not yet, where is the quarian girl accommodated? I don't recall any quarters being assigned."

"Oh! I-um, she is staying with me."

Rachel's face split into a mischievous grin, and she snickered slightly.

"Oh, don't give me that!" Elsa scolded. "We are just friends. Actually, we're not even that! I barely know her. She just needed some comfort and companionship last night."

"Companionship, suuuuure!"

Elsa kicked Rachel's shin under the table, and the pair immediately exploded in peals of laughter. Tears were streaming down their faces, and they struggled to catch their breath.

"Oh...god...Rachel! You are..._evil!" _

The culprit wiped her eyes, still red. "Ohhhh, admit it! You've got the hots for this girl!"

"Rachel, please! People can hear! Besides, I don't even know what she looks like!"

"Yeah, but you're going to soon enough!" she retorted, and once more crumbled down into fits of laughter.

Elsa pouted, her face red. "I hate you." Of course, she didn't mean it. Rachel was her dearest friend in the universe.

Rachel snorted. "Nah, you don't."

"Yes, I do! That was _not _cool!"

"You love me, really."

Elsa smiled. "Yes, I do."

Rachel returned the smile and gently took Elsa's hands in her own. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Elsa blushed. "Me, amazing? No, you're the amazing one!"

"I mean it, Elsa. You've taken this girl under your wing, you've given her a home, a purpose, a reason to live. If that's not amazing, I don't know what is."

Elsa smiled widely. "Well...thank you. So much, that means a great deal to me. But I still think you're the amazing one. Not only for everything you've done for me, but just because you're...you. You're sweet and loving, incredible, fantastic, supportive…I can't imagine my life without you in it, Rachel. You've changed me for the better. Every day I look at you and I feel lucky, blessed even. You brighten my whole day, my whole life, even. And I love you for that."

Rachel stared at Elsa, speechless. "Wow...Elsa...thank you. You are too kind!"

Elsa squeezed her hands gently. "I mean it, every word."

The pair stood and brought each other into an embrace, Rachel's face buried in Elsa's shoulder, holding each other tightly. They stayed like that for several minutes, not caring about the curious glances of the crewmembers around them.

"Elsa?"

"Mmm?"

"You know how I said it's amazing that you took Anna under your wing?"

"Yes...what of it?"

Rachel pulled back slightly and a grin split out on her face. "Bet that's not the only place you're going to be _taking _her before long!"

Elsa gasped, and smacked Rachel on the arm. "Rachel!"

"Ow! Not cool!"

Elsa laughed, and hugged her friend once more. "Oh, you!"

Rachel laughed. "Come on, lover girl. Let's get to the CIC. We're on duty."

Elsa smacked her friend's arm playfully. "Hey, _I'm _the Commander! It's me who tells you when we're on duty! Not the other way round!"

Rachel smiled a pretty smile, one that Elsa had come to love over the past six months. "Oh, I am terribly sorry, _Commander," _she said with mock sarcasm. "Might I have your permission to leave Your Royal Highness's presence?"

Elsa chuckled. "Come on!"

The two strode for the elevator doors and made their way to the CIC, smiling all the way.

When the elevator doors parted, they were suprised to be met by Anna. Though Elsa could not see her face, she could tell the quarian girl was upset.

"Anna? Are you all right?"

The young woman glanced at Elsa, then at Rachel, and finally at her feet. After what seemed like an eternity, she let out a single word.

"No."

Elsa's heart broke. She had never seen so much emotion, especially from a masked face. It penetrated her very soul, and she felt on the verge of tears.

"Um, why don't I leave you two alone?" Rachel said. There was no hint of innuendo in her voice this time. "I'll catch up with you."

Placing an arm over Anna's shoulders, Elsa guided her back into the elevator.

"Deck one."

As the elevator whirred into motion, Anna broke down in tears.

"God, Anna! What is wrong? Tell me!"

The girl shook her head fervently, her shoulders shaking,

The elevator slowed to a stop and opened, and Elsa gently took the girl's hand and guided her to her cabin door.

"Come, sit. You don't have to tell me anything. Just stay here and rest. I have to go, but I'll be back later."

Anna desperately clutched at Elsa's arm, fingers digging in painfully. "Please don't go," she whispered.

Elsa sighed, and leaned over to the intercom panel. Pressing a button, she waited as the tone beeped for a few seconds, until Rachel's voice answered.

"CIC, XO speaking."

"I won't be able to join you on watch today, Rach. Can you hold down the fort?"

"Sure thing, Els."

Elsa guided Anna over to the bed and sat her down. She gazed for a few seconds at the purple-tinged mask, before drawing herself close and wrapping her arms around her.

The two spent the entire day in Elsa's cabin. She comforted the girl in any way possible, including reading her absolute favourite novel, _The Winter and the Sun, _to her.

Anna sniffed lightly as Elsa set the book aside. "That was absolutely wonderful, I loved it. Thank you so much for reading to me."

"You're more than welcome," Elsa said, smiling.

"Who wrote it anyway?"

Elsa passed the book to Anna. "See for yourself."

Anna looked at the cover for a few seconds. "_The Winter and the Sun," _she murmured, "_by Rachel Lattimore.*_

She looked at Elsa inquisitively. "Your XO?"

"The very same," Elsa said fondly. "She wrote it not long after joining the crew."

"She's amazing."

Elsa sighed contentedly. "Yes, she really is."

The two dozed on the bed for around an hour, Elsa drifting in and out of consciousness, and Anna completely zoned out beside her. The door chime tolled.

"Enter."

The door slid open, and Rachel stood in the doorway. "Hey, I just got off duty, I was wondering if-," she stopped short as she noticed the book lying on Elsa's chest.

"You read her _The Winter and the Sun?"_

"Yeah. Something the matter?"

"I-no. I just didn't...think you liked it that much."

"Rachel! How could you say that!" Elsa carefully rose from the bed, careful not to wake Anna. "I love your stories. All of them! They are amazing, Rachel. Amazing and wonderful, fantastic, beautiful, sweet...I can't find the words, really."

Rachel took Elsa's hand in her own. "Oh, Els...thank you. So, so, so much. You've always been so supportive of me."

Elsa hugged her friend briefly, smiling.

Rachel continued, "I mean it, Els. Have I ever told you exactly how much you mean to me?"

Elsa smiled warmly, "Mm, I think you have. But I'd love to hear it again."

"We've known each other for, what? Six months? And in that time I've never, _ever, _known anyone quite as amazing as you. You are my best friend, Els. You brighten my day whenever we talk, you make me feel better without even trying. You're wonderful and sweet, funny, kind, caring, and supportive. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you, Elsa."

Elsa was speechless. Taking Rachel's other hand in her own, she began to speak. "Oh...Rachel...that was...wow. I _am _the lucky one! You're the amazing one! You've made me so much...more. And your stories! My god! I have never, _ever, _read anything as incredible as those! I can't believe it, my beautiful friend, now my executive officer, writing such amazing works of art that make my heart melt! You're my best friend in the entire universe, Rach, and I love you. For everything. For just being...you." She embraced her best friend tightly, not wanting to let her go. Finally, they parted, a huge smile plastered on Elsa's face.

Rachel cocked her head. "What's that about?"

Elsa's smile grew wider. "You."


	5. Shards of the Heart

**For TalkElsannaToMe, my dearest friend. I couldn't have done this without you!**

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><p>Elsa awoke the next morning to find herself on her back, with Anna sprawled across her. The first night she seemed so reserved, sleeping stock still on the very edge of the bed. But now she seemed to have relaxed much more. The heavy mask was digging uncomfortably into Elsa's shoulder, and the warmth of Anna's body was making Elsa sweat. Carefully, she extricated herself from the tangle of limbs and sat up. A spike of pain lanced through her left temple, and she clutched at her head, eyes watering. At the same time, what seemed to be a black shadow flashed by at the side of her vision. She blinked, but as quickly as it had come, it was gone.<p>

Groaning slightly, she slowly clambered out of the bed and made her way to the bathroom. As soon as the doors were closed, she turned on the shower and began disrobing. She examined her body in the full-length mirror as usual, inspecting every curve. Something didn't feel right today, it was almost as if she were not quite there. As if she was elsewhere controlling her body from afar.

_Probably just tiredness, _she thought.

She stepped carefully into the shower, the scalding water cascading down upon her pale shoulders. Silently, she stood, trying to analyse what she was feeling. It felt as if there were someone, _something _there with her. No, _inside _her. As if something were forcing its way into her and pushing her out. She closed her eyes and concentrated, almost as if she were trying to reclaim lost ground.

Half an hour later, and feeling no better, Elsa emerged from the shower. Shivering slightly at the cool air on her bare skin, she began to dry herself off. Her thoughts drifted to the young quarian girl. Over the past few days she found herself oddly drawn to her. Her personality was infectious, she found herself wanting to be with her often. When Anna was upset, so was Elsa, and it wasn't simple empathy. It was as if she actually shared in her pain.

Elsa blushed as she realised her hands had been lingering on her breasts while she thought of the sleeping girl in the room next door. Quickly, she whipped her hands away and began dressing rapidly.

Entering the bedroom once more, she was met face to face with Anna, who was sitting bolt upright on the edge of the bed.

"Anna!" Elsa said, rubbing her temple as the shadow once again fleeted by at the edge of her vision. "I-how did you sleep?"

"Well enough, thank you. I see you didn't, however!"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Have you _seen _yourself, Elsa? You're deathly pale!"

"Very funny, Anna." Elsa had always been somewhat self conscious about her complexion.

"No, seriously. Come with me." Anna stood and dragged Elsa over to the small mirror on the dressing table. When Elsa looked at her reflection she gasped. Her skin was almost grey, her eyes sunken and her cheekbones were showing.

"Oh, my god! I was fine not ten minutes ago! What...what is this?"

Anna shook her head. "I don't know, Elsa. Come, lets get you to the sickbay."

Groaning, Elsa followed Anna out of the room, across the corridor and into the elevator.

"Deck six."

The elevator whirred into motion, speeding downwards. Moments later, it had arrived at deck six, and the doors slid open.

The two girls walked slowly down the long corridor, Elsa dragging her feet slightly. Suddenly, she clutched her head in her hands and collapsed to her knees, screaming.

"Elsa? Elsa! Somebody, get help! Now!"

One of the confused crewmembers bolted down the corridor in the direction of the infirmary.

Elsa finally found the strength to lift her head. She squinted. At the end of the hallway sat...something. It was tall, jagged, and blacker than the blackest night. As it drew closer, Elsa recognised it as the Shard object found on Heshtok. But why was it here? It had been sent to Rannoch for study. Elsa didn't understand, and the fog in her mind did nothing but complicate everything.

"What _is _that?"

Anna touched a hand to Elsa's shoulder. "What's what, Elsa?"

"That!" Elsa exclaimed, pointing. "Right there!"

"I-I don't see anything, Elsa. Just...stay calm."

The Shard gradually glided closer and closer to Elsa until it stopped about a metre away. It began to glow, though seemingly without losing any of its terrifying darkness. It slowly began to rotate on the spot, and a small portion of the tip dissolved, forming a tendril. Snaking its way towards Elsa, it struck her chest before she could react. She clutched at her heart, gasping.

"No!"

"Elsa, what is it?" Anna inquired.

Elsa did not reply. The Shard was rapidly shrinking in size, pouring itself into Elsa's very being. She felt an immense pressure build and build, and finally, when she thought she could bear no more, it exploded outwards from her. She barely had time to clutch at Anna before she hit the deck, consciousness rapidly leaving her.

The next thing she knew, she was lying in a hospital bed in the infirmary. Anna stood at the foot of the bed, with Dr. Jameson to her left. There was a figure to Elsa's right, but she could not quite tell who. With great effort, she managed to turn her head, and laid eyes on the only person she wanted to see.

Rachel.

She slowly raised her arm, and her best friend grasped her hand. "Shh, Els. Everything is going to be okay."

Elsa smiled. Despite everything, Rachel always seemed to have the power to make Elsa feel better. The second-in-command turned to the doctor, a look of concern on her face. "What's the word then, doc?"

Jameson furrowed her brow. "In all honesty...I don't know. Aside from elevated levels of adrenaline, you're in perfect health."

Anna huffed. "She certainly didn't _seem _in perfect health!"

The doctor nodded. "Indeed. But fainting spells aren't _that _uncommon. Often they can be attributed to something minor. We'll keep you in overnight for observations, Commander, but I wouldn't worry."

Anna was not satisfied. "She saw something!"

"Anna!"

"What? She needs to know!"

"What did you see, Els?" Rachel inquired.

"It's...it's nothing."

"She saw something!" Anna continued, without waiting for Elsa. "Right before she passed out, she pointed at something."

The doctor frowned. "I see. Well, it's been known for people on the brink of consciousness to experience hallucinations. For now, I see no cause for concern, but let me know if it happens again."

"Thank you, doctor," Elsa said. "If you all don't mind...I'd like some time alone."

Anna nodded. "Of course." She turned and strode from the room, Dr. Jameson closely following.

Elsa reached out and grabbed the hem of Rachel's shirt as she was turning to leave.

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"I...um...please stay? I just didn't want everyone crowded around me."

Rachel smiled at her friend. "Of course I'll stay, Els." She leaned down and kissed Elsa lightly on the forehead. Taking her hand, she sat at the edge of the bed.

"Thank you, Rach."

"For what?"  
>"For...everything. For being here for me. For being such a wonderful friend. You truly are amazing, Rachel."<p>

Rachel blushed. "Awh, Els…"

Elsa smiled gently up at her friend, as she felt the tendrils of sleep begin to take her. "Stay with me…?" she mumbled, barely awake.

"Always, Els. Always."

Elsa woke slowly the next morning, her mind reluctantly rising from the fog of sleep. Blinking wearily, she turned her head to see Rachel slouched at the side of the bed, asleep. Leaning over, she shook her friend's shoulder gently.

"Rach!"

"Unf. Eh?" Rachel muttered. "Oh...Elsa…" She jolted upright. "Elsa! You're awake! How are you feeling."

Elsa frowned slightly. "Honestly, great. Really great. Fantastic, even."

"Really?"

"Yeah...I don't get it either. I honestly felt like I could die last night. Come on!" She rose from the bed and leaped out, making the way for the door.

"Els, wait!"

"What?!" she snapped.

Rachel widened her eyes, obviously taken aback at Elsa's brusque retort, but spoke nonetheless. "Well, firstly, you can't go on duty looking like _that_," gesturing to the hospital gown Elsa was wearing, "and secondly, you need to actually be cleared by the doctor before you _can _leave."

Elsa scowled. "I'm the commander of this ship, Lieutenant! I can leave here if I want."

"Actually, you can't," came a voice from the doorway. Dr. Jameson strode into the room, clutching a clipboard and ominously drumming her fingers. "Doctor's orders."

Elsa shot her a look of death. "Fine!"

"Lie down, please. This won't take long."

Elsa complied, albeit begrudgingly. She lay on the bed wringing her hands as the doctor attached her to various machines. As she locked eyes with Rachel her expression immediately softened.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Els."

"No, it's not! I don't know what came over me, but that's no excuse to treat you badly. You're too good for that."

Rachel said nothing, only smiled.

"Okay, we're all done here," Dr. Jameson said. "Remember, Commander, any symptoms at all, and I want you to-"

She was interrupted by a knock at the door. Anna stood there, hesitant to come in. Elsa felt an odd flutter in her heart, but pushed it aside, eager to speak with the young girl.

"Hello, Anna."

"Um..hi. I-I just came by to-that is-I..uh…"

"Spit it out, young lady." Jameson said.

"I...I realised something this morning. About Reegar. When we first discovered the Shard, one day he told me about something that happened. Something that he saw, and upon consideration, I think it sounds similar to what you saw."

Elsa frowned. "You think it's related?"

"Well, you've both come in contact with it. I'd say its a safe bet, yes."

"But why me? Why not Victus? Or Beck?"

"I can't say. We barely scratched the surface of what this thing can do."

"That's...troubling."

Rachel rubbed Elsa's shoulder affectionately. "We'll get to the bottom of this, Els. Trust me."

Elsa smiled weakly. "Thank you."

Jameson turned to face Elsa. "I see no reason not to release you right now, but you are restricted to light duty. At least for a few days. As for what Anna here told me...we will have to wait and see, I'm afraid."

"Very well. Thank you, doctor."

Anna took her leave, and Elsa sat up to allow Jameson to remove the leads from her chest and arms.

"One last thing, Commander. Your EKG showed something...interesting just then."

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing at all. Here, look." She directed her attention to the monitor at the bedside, and moved back in the log a few minutes. The beat of her heart was in regular intervals, except for one place, where it was missing.

"There," the doctor said, pointing. "Right when Anna walked in."

"I don't undersand."

"Your heart literally skipped a beat, Elsa."

Behind her, Rachel let out a quiet "Awwww".

Elsa scowled. "Why are you telling me this?"

The doctor shrugged. "Just something I found interesting. Thought it'd brighten your mood. Maybe Anna would find it interesting too…"

Leaving the statement hanging, Jameson turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

Rachel was stood behind Elsa, a look of glee on her face.

"Don't give me that look," Elsa groused.

"What look would that be?"

"The 'I told you so' look!"

"This isn't my 'I told you so look'. That would be this look" - she pulled a different face, causing Elsa to giggle, despite herself. "This is my 'I'm really happy for you' look."

"Rach, there's nothing to be happy about! I shouldn't, I _can't_ get involved with _anyone _right now, least of all her! What _are _you laughing about!?"

"Because I was right! You want her!"

"I do _not!_"

Rachel grinned impishly. "Whatever you say, Els." And with that, she turned and walked out of the room.

Elsa racked her brains. Truly, she did care for Anna. She found her funny, relatable, caring, and sweet. Surely it wasn't possible to be developing feelings for her? Elsa didn't _do _feelings. It was all too alien to her. Attempting to push the issue to the back of her mind, she began to dress in her uniform, and then made her way to the CIC, a spring in her step.


	6. Insurrection

**A/N: The wonderful TalkElsannaToMe has an equally wonderful fic called 'The Wind in My Sails', which you should all check out! It's incomplete but it's by far the best pirate AU I've ever read!**

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><p>The elevator doors slid open on deck two and Elsa stepped into the CIC. Rachel greeted her warmly, a smile on her face as usual. Before she could open her mouth to speak, she found herself face to face with Lieutenant Hailey Beck.<p>

"I-Lieutenant! What is it?"

"I hear you were ill." Beck said brusquely.

"I-yes. I was. I'm fine now, thank you for your concern."

"That's not what I was concerned about! What I'm concerned about is what you saw."

"Excuse me?"

"You know what I'm talking about. In the corridor, yesterday evening."

"So, I hallucinated. I was _ill!_"

"I'm more concerned about _what _you saw. I visited you last night, but you were asleep. As I was about to leave, you began talking in your sleep. And what I heard concerns me greatly."

"You -! What did you hear…?"

"The Shard. What you intend to do. How it makes you _feel..._ "

"I-I don't intend to do anything."

"I hope so, Commander. For all our sakes."

Beck strode away, leaving Elsa speechless. Rachel took Elsa's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, along with a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Els."

Elsa returned the smile.

Rachel strode over to the desk and activated the comm panel. "Bridge, XO."

"Bridge, go ahead," came the disembodied voice.

"We're headed back to the Citadel. Set a course for the relay."

A surge of panic rose up in Elsa. "No!"

Rachel turned, bemused. "What?"

"I said, no!"

"But, why?"

Elsa's features turned hard, and she rounded on her executive. "Need I remind you of who is in command?"

"I-no."

"Bridge, set a course for the relay, plot a course for Rannoch."

"Rannoch? Why are we-?"

"Enough! This is _not _open for discussion, Lieutenant!"

"Very well. Bridge, execute the Commander's orders."

"I'm going to my cabin. Alert me when we reach Rannoch."

"Yes, Commander."

"One more thing, Lieutenant."

"Yes?"

"Never make me repeat an order again."

Fifteen minutes later, they had arrived at the system's mass relay. Rachel was situated on the bridge with the helmsman.

"Two jumps to the Perseus Veil, one more to Rannoch."

"Not far at all, then."

"No ma'am. Course is laid in."

"Very well. Make it so."

Rachel turned and reentered the CIC, only to be met with a scowling Beck.

"Something the matter?"

"Yes, something is the matter! We need to talk."

Rachel frowned. "Very well. Not here, though."

She led the way to the armoury, with Beck following closely. Once they were out of earshot of the rest of the CIC staff, she spoke.

"Proceed."

"It's about the Commander."

"Oh?"

"Her...actions today. They were very...irregular."

"It did seem a bit odd," Rachel admitted.

"No. Odd I can handle. This little side-trip was completely unwarranted. I think the Shard has influenced her more than she knows. What's more, she's taking us back to Rannoch, where the Shard itself is located! I...I'm concerned about the welfare of this ship and her crew!"

"Thank you for voicing your concerns, Midshipman. I'll speak to her."

"Not good enough."

"Excuse me?"

"That's not good enough! She won't change! That Shard thing has it's hooks in her! No, I'm talking about something a little more...proactive."

"Just what do you mean?"

"I'm talking about removing her from command, Lieutenant."

"You do realise that what you're suggesting is mutiny?"

"Hardly. She's unfit for command!"

Rachel scowled. "You do not decide who is or is not unfit for command, crewman!"

Hailey stood her ground. "I've already spoken to some of the other crewmembers, Lieutenant. They're in agreement, too."

_Shit, _Rachel thought.

Quick as a flash, she drew her sidearm from its holster and aimed it at the headstrong crewman.

"I'm sorry Beck, but incitement of mutiny is a very serious offence. I am going to have to ask you to report to the brig." She jabbed at the comm panel with her left hand. "Security, XO. Assistance in the armoury, on the double."

Hailey glared daggers at the executive. "You're _taking _her side?"

"I'm certainly not taking yours. Drop your weapon, midshipman."

Slowly, Beck unbuckled her holster and dropped it to the ground.

Seconds later, a tall security guard entered the room, weapon drawn.

"Ah, Lieutenant. Place Midshipman Beck under arrest and escort her to the brig at once."

Hailey glanced over her shoulder at the towering guard.

The man shook his head. "No, ma'am."

"Excuse me?"

"Midshipman Beck was kind enough to inform the security contingent of this vessel of a possible risk to this ship, its mission, and its crew, perpetrated fully, or in part, by its commander and possibly the executive officer. I regret to inform you, that it is I who will have to ask you to accompany me to the brig." He raised his weapon and pointed it at Rachel's chest.

Hailey dove for her Carnifex on the ground and brought Rachel to gunpoint as well.

"I'd do as he says, Commander."

Sighing, Rachel threw down her weapon. The tall guard led the way out of the room, and Hailey circled around Rachel and placed her weapon at the base of her skull.

"Move!"

The trio moved slowly out of the armoury and into the CIC, avoiding the shocked and aghast looks from the crew. The wait for the elevator seemed like an eternity, though it was a few seconds at most. The doors slid open and Rachel was met face to face with the strong gaze of her commander's beautiful blue eyes.

"Elsa!"

The guard quickly brought Elsa to gunpoint even before she could speak. "Back inside!"

Elsa said nothing, only raised her hands slightly and stepped backwards into the elevator. Beck and Rachel followed suit, and the doors closed.

"Deck eight."

Elsa glanced around warily. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Your XO has been placed under arrest, as have you, for grave misconduct in the line of duty."

"Grave miscond-? What? All I did was-"

"You did enough, Shepard."

Silence fell over them once again as the elevator plummeted downwards. Coming swiftly to a halt, the doors slid open, and the pair were ushered out. They walked down the hallway to the brig at the end. Inside they were greeted by a familiar face.

"Victus? Not you too…"

The turian gestured to the cell. "Step inside please."

The two women walked, in defeat, into the cell. Just as the gate was about to close, there was a loud _thwack! _from behind them, followed by a grunt.

Rachel whirled around. The tall security guard was flat on the ground, clearly unconscious. Victus was towering above him wielding a spanner with which he had quite obviously struck the guard.

Hailey gaped in shock, but quickly composed herself. She brought her weapon to face Victus, but just as she was about to fire, Elsa dove forward and drove the heel of her hand into Beck's chest.

An explosion of light filled the room, and the young crewmember was sent flying backwards with a scream. She hit the wall with a sickening _crunch,_ and fell to the ground, dead.

"Elsa...what..?" Rachel gazed at her friend, aghast.

Elsa was staring at her hand, equally speechless. "I...I don't know…"

Victus peered at the deceased Beck, lying supine on the floor. "Looked a bit like some from of biotic ability."

"I don't have any biotics…"

"Come on, Els. Let's get you to Jameson. She can take care of you."

"No! Beck was right, Rach. I _am _a danger. When I was in my quarters before, I could _feel _it. Like it was right there, with me in the room. It was talking to me, Rach...making me...do things…

I can't command this ship anymore, Lieutenant."

"Els...you're _not _a danger! You're going to be f-"

"No, Rachel! I won't be fine!." She pulled herself from Rachel's grasp and turned to face her.

"Under the Earth Systems Alliance General Order one-sixteen I do hereby declare myself unfit for command, and relieve myself from duty. As executive officer it falls to you to take command of this vessel until a suitable replacement can be found."

Rachel bit her lip, upset. Finally, almost as if she were admitting defeat, she saluted Elsa.

"I relieve you, sir."

"I stand relieved."

There was a grunt from the floor, followed by movement. The guard was attempting to crawl for his weapon. Rachel walked over to him and stepped on his back, pinning him. He stopped struggling immediately. Picking up his gun, she knelt beside him, and spoke softly:

"How many of the ship's crew did Beck have?"

"Six-sixteen. The entire security staff."

"Sixteen. Out of thirty. Not good odds," Victus observed.

"No," the guard muttered. "Most of the crew are in lockdown in their quarters. Our forces have taken the rest into custody. By now, most of the ship is under their control."

"And Anna?" Elsa inquired.

"Sealed in the starboard observation deck."

Rachel frowned at the guard, prone on the deck. "Why are you being so cooperative?"

"This was a mistake. The commander may well be compromised, but mutiny is not the answer. Unfortunately, my sergeant disagreed. Upon Beck's reccomendation, he orchestrated most of the takeover."

"Sergeant Thrax?"

"That's him. Tough old git. He's probably holed up in the security office with half the small arms on the ship."

"How do we take him out?" Rachel asked, adressing the room at large.

There was silence for a second, until the guard spoke again.

"Maintenance tunnels."

"Excuse me?"

He sat up with a great deal of effort, and pointed to a hatch which led down under the deck in the corner of the room. "Maintenance tunnels. Use them to access the armoury behind the CIC. I'm fairly sure that it hasn't been emptied yet."

Rachel furrowed her brow slightly, thinking. After a few moments, she rose from the deck, her weapon still trained on the prone guard.

"Alright, here's the plan. The three of us take that maintenance shaft up to deck two. There's an access point in the research lab. We cross to the armoury and gather our weapons. Heavy pistols only, people. We need to carry extras for the crewmembers we are going to release. Next, we climb to deck one and get Elsa safely to her quarters-"

"What!?"

"Sorry, Els, but that's the way it is. The Shard has obviously affected you, and you said yourself, you aren't fit for command-"

"Who said anything about command? All I want to do is retake my ship!"

Rachel considered a moment. "Fine. But you're staying with me."

"Very well."

Rachel continued, "We can't take the CIC yet, not with three people. We need more. We'll climb down to deck three, instead. That's where Anna and most of the crew are We have to cross through open corridors here, so stay alert. We can enter my office and climb through another maintenance shaft to get to the starboard observation deck. Releasing Anna, we storm the deck and release the officers locked in the quarters. From there, we split into three teams and retake the key areas of the ship. The CIC is most definitely being held, as well as main engineering. It's possible the hangar deck also has a small contingent. Remember, there's only sixteen of them, they can't hold much of the ship at once.

Victus, you'll take the smallest team and secure the hangar deck. Anna will take another and storm engineering. Elsa and myself will take the CIC. We'll pick up some portable communicators in the armoury - we can't have Thrax's men knowing our movements.

Once the ship is retaken, we place the mutineers in custody and return to the Citadel, as originally planned."

Elsa flinched.

"Els?"

"I'm sorry, Rach. I...I have a...for some reason...I have a strong urge to not return there. I can't explain it."

"I know, Els. Which is why you're going to your quarters as soon as we retake the ship. It's possible this is the Shard's influence."

"Fair enough."

"All right then, are we clear?"

There was a murmur of affirmation around the room.

"Um...excuse me?" the guard on the floor said, "what about me?"

Rachel gestured to Victus, who grabbed the man under the shoulders and dragged him into the brig cell. "You can stay right here. Don't worry, you'll be fine. It's just a light concussion - probably." The tall turian grinned devilishly at the disgruntled guard.

Rachel walked over to the maintenance shaft and opened it up.

"All right then? Let's do this."


	7. Angels Fall First

The trio made their way slowly up the long ladder in the bowels of the ship. Grunting with effort, and trying not to slip, Elsa, Rachel, and Victus made the inexorable climb to deck two. Sweat dripped from their foreheads as they gradually climbed upwards.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they reached the hatch that led into the research lab. Carefully unlocking the latch, Rachel lifted the hatch carefully and peered out.

"All clear."

She pushed the hatch fully open and pulled herself through. The room was indeed empty, so she made her way to the main door as the others climbed out.

"Close that hatch!"

Victus muttered a curse under his breath, and turned to close the neglected hatch.

"How do we know there's no one out there? Or in the armory for that matter?" he asked.

"I guess we don't. But we don't have a choice. Come on!"

Rachel activated the door controls and stepped into cover behind the wall, holding her breath. The door slid open, and she peeked her head around the corner.

"It's clear."

The trio entered the hallway and quickly moved to the armoury door. Rachel activated the controls again and the door slid open to reveal the empty armoury.

Rachel let out a sigh of relief, and crossed the room to the weapons locker. Opening it, she retrieved three M-6 Carnifex heavy pistols for herself, and distributed the rest to Elsa and Victus, as well as a generous supply of thermal clips.

"All set?"

Elsa and Victus nodded.

"Let's move!"

They made their way carefully across the corridor once more and back into the research lab, where Victus opened the hatch and disappeared down. Elsa and Rachel followed suit, closing the hatch behind them.

"Deck three, everyone. Lead the way, Victus."

They descended, arguably a great deal faster than they had ascended, and before long they were at a junction. Turning left, Victus crawled through the narrow tube for a few metres until he stopped.

"We're here," he whispered, peering through the grille in the ceiling of the observation deck "and I see Anna. There doesn't appear to be anyone else there."

"Good," Rachel whispered back. "Use the wrench in the kit on the wall to your left-"

Victus punched the grille clean from its mountings with the flat of his hand.

"-or you could just do that."

The two women and the turian squeezed through the hole in the roof and landed in the observation deck, where they were met by a very startled Anna.

"Elsa!" The young quarian ran into Elsa's arms, sweeping her into a bone-crushing hug.

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Victus, get to work on that door. Get us out of here, I don't feel like climbing back into that shaft."

The turian nodded and set to work on the deactivated control panel by the door.

"Elsa! What's happening? I'm scared! There were these men, and they took me, and they locked me in here and...and...and.."

"Hush, Anna," Elsa soothed, still embracing her, "everything is going to be fine. We've come to rescue you, and retake the ship."

"Retake? What happened?"

"Mutiny," Rachel said grimly, handing Anna a spare pistol.

Anna took the weapon gingerly. "Oh…"

"Aha!" Victus said triumphantly, the door panel he was working on glowing green.

"Alright Anna, let me get you up to speed. We need to free the rest of the crew. Most of them are locked in the quarters, which are just down this hall. We need to be careful, before we'd been using maintenance shafts to sneak around, but now we have to cross a rather wide-open area. Don't be afraid to use that," she said, gesturing to the Carnifex in Anna's hand.

Anna gulped. "And then what?"

"Just focus on getting to crew quarters for now. Then I'll inform everyone of the plan. I don't feel like repeating myself again."

Anna nodded.

"Everyone ready?"

The team nodded.

"Good. Victus, open up!"

The turian activated the control panel on the wall and the doors slid open to reveal the empty corridor. Rachel took point, gradually tiptoeing down the hallway, her team following closely. Before long they reached the officer's quarters, which was locked.

"Get to it, Victus."

He nodded, and began to work on the control panel, bypassing the locking mechanism. Rachel and Elsa covered him, on guard for any patrols.

"Fast as you can, Victus," Rachel pressed.

"I'm trying. It's surprisingly difficult, this one."

The sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor, and a shadow appeared on the wall, unmistakably of a man with his gun drawn.

"Victus!"

The turian let flow a string of muttered curses as he worked frantically. Meanwhile, the footsteps grew louder and the guard rounded the corner. As soon as he saw Rachel and her team, he opened fire.

Rachel dove for cover, a searing pain shooting up her left arm. Anna and Victus had also taken cover behind a canteen chair, but the guard was distracted by Rachel. Meanwhile, Elsa remained where she was.

"Elsa! What are you doing?!" Rachel screamed, firing blindly at the guard, missing.

Elsa did not reply. She clenched her hand in a fist in front of her, and blue glowing energy began to form around it. It grew in intensity, until it was almost blinding, until Elsa opened her hand.

The ball of energy flew towards the guard and struck him, sending him flying into the bulkhead. He collapsed limply, unconscious.

"Els...what the hell?"

Elsa shook her head, staring at her hand. "I don't know. It just seemed...somehow I _knew _how to do that. Don't worry, he isn't dead."

"Good."

"Oh my god, Rach! You've been shot!"

Rachel grimaced, looking at the gash in her upper arm. "Flesh wound," she said. "Nothing to worry about."

"At least let me wrap it," Anna piped up.

"When we're inside. Victus, the door."

Victus nodded and returned his attention to the door panel. A few moments later, it slid open to reveal the shocked faces of the off-duty crewmembers.

"Inside, everyone."

The team crammed inside the small room and Victus sealed the door behind them.

"Anna!"

A middle-aged woman from the rear of the room came crashing through and leapt into Anna's arms.

"Mother?"

"Oh, Anna! I am so so sorry!"

"No, I'm sorry! For everything. But right now, we have to focus. We'll talk when this is done, all right?"

"Alright."

The two separated and turned their attention to Rachel, who was stood at the small table in the centre of the room.

"Listen up, everybody! We don't have much time. You all know the ship has been taken. Right now, you don't need to know _why,_ all you need to know is that we need to recapture it! How many of you are there in here?"

Someone did a quick head count and replied, "Um...twenty."

"Perfect. I want ten of you to come with me and Elsa. We'll take the maintenance shaft up to the armoury on deck two. There's enough spare weapons there for anyone unarmed. Meanwhile, five of you will go with Anna and proceed to engineering, again via the maintenance tunnels. Victus will take the remaining five to the hangar deck. We'll be using these-" she handed a portable communicator to Victus and Anna, "-to communicate. Remain in a safe place, then on my signal we'll storm each location simultaneously. With any luck, it'll go without a hitch. They'll never know what hit them. Everyone clear?"

A murmur of affirmation rustled through the room.

"Okay then. Let's do this."

Rachel led the way out of the room, checking carefully for any other guards. The hallway being clear, she led the small group out and back into the observation deck. They all gathered around the small opening in the ceiling.

"Alright,.team two for engineering, you're up. Victus, give them a leg up."

The turian stooped and cupped his hands together. Anna carefully stepped into his hands and was boosted into the maintenance shaft. He repeated the maneuver with the other five team members, most of them a great deal heavier than the young quarian. Anna scurried along the pipe, making little noise as she went, the rest of her fireteam following as quietly as they could.

"Help me up, Victus."

Victus hoisted Rachel easily into the maintenance shaft. Scrambling around, she poked her head back through the access point. "Wait until we've all gone. Then take your team to the hangar deck and wait for my signal."

The turian nodded solemnly. "Good luck."

"And to you."

Rachel shuffled along to the end of the maintenance shaft where the ladder to the upper decks was situated and waited for the other members of her team to join her.

Finally, after a great deal of grunting and cursing, they caught up. Nodding silently Elsa, she began the slow ascent up the ladder. The small space was cramped, claustrophobic, and far too warm for Rachel's taste, but she persevered. Finally, she reached the access hatch which led to the armoury. Cautiously peering out, she ensured the armoury was deserted before fully entering. Immediately, she crossed to the doors leading to the CIC and locked them.

"Elsa, come here."

The blonde walked over, eyebrow raised. "Yes?"

"Take half the team and head to the research lab. Lock the doors. We'll storm the CIC from both sides."  
>Elsa nodded, and without a word, gestured to five of the men and left via the side door.<p>

Rachel reached for her portable communicator. "Team two, status."

"Team two, ready," Anna's voice echoed from the small device.

"Team three, status."

"Team three, ready."

"Els, you set?"

"Yes, good to go."

"Remember everyone, use lethal force only if absolutely necessary, clear?"

"Clear," Anna said

Victus grunted, whioh

Rachel glanced at her teammates, a slight look of apprehension evident on her face. They all returned a reassuring smile.

"Go! Go! Go!"

Rachel deactivated the locking mechanism and the doors slid open. Sergeant Thrax, donning an immense suit of body armour, was standing at the immense galaxy map. A portable shield generator stood at his feet, and a faint glow surrounded the colossal guard. He immediately whirled around. Raising his weapon, he fired a volley in the direction of Rachel's team. They scattered, and thankfully none of them were hurt. Rachel dove behind cover, in this case a chair at one of the ship's many weapons consoles. She peeked out briefly from behind the chair and fired at Thrax, but the rounds glanced harmlessly off his body armour, shields flashing.

By now, the entirety of the mutineers in the CIC had been subdued, and all attention was focused on Thrax. Shots were fired upon him from all directions, but his personal shield mitigated every ounce of damage. Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel saw Elsa slowly emerge from cover and raise her hand.

A swirling ball of energy began to form around her clenched fist. It grew in intensity, until it blinded everyone in the room. Releasing her fist, the blast flew towards Thrax and struck him in the chest.

"Argh!" Thrax stumbled backwards, dropping his assault rifle, his shield immediately failing and his body armor glowing orange.

Rachel stepped from behind her cover, raising her Carnifex. "Open fire!"

Volleys plummeted towards Thrax, though his body armour still resisted well. Finally, one of the rounds punched through, and he fell to the ground with a grunt.

Rachel realised his assault rifle was too close to where he landed for her liking, but it was too late. With surprising speed, Thrax scrambled towards the weapon and grabbed at. At the same time, he swung around and knocked Rachel's legs out from beneath her. She hit the deck with an _ooof!._

Thrax fired his weapon, sweeping it around in a wide arc. At first, it seemed his attack was fruitless, until…

"ELSA!"

Elsa stood there, blood seeping from her belly, hands clutching at the wound.

"Rach…"

She collapsed.

"Elsa!" Rachel darted forwards, forgetting about the assailant behind her. She was halfway towards her best friend, when strong hands suddenly grabbed her from behind. She struggled, but Thrax whipped out a pistol and held it to her temple.

"Listen!" Thrax bellowed. "Listen, all of you! This woman-" he pointed to the stricken blonde on the floor-"is a _monster! _Have you _seen _what she did? How can we expect someone like _her _to command? As for _this_ one-" he dug the pistol into Rachel's head "is an accomplice. She turned a blind eye to Shepard's incompetence ever since Heshtok! Refused to believe she was compromised!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel could see one of her team members sneaking around the command desk, obviously trying to get a good shot at Thrax.

_No! _Rachel thought. _Don't do it, you'll get us all killed…_

Thrax continued. "Lay down your weapons, all of you. Signal to any other teams you may have to do the same. We can all resolve this...peacefully."

Something in Thrax's voice made Rachel think that Thrax was willing to be anything but peaceful. Meanwhile, the crewman was taking up position and lining up his shot.

_Don't do it…_

He fired.

Thrax screamed. Seemingly, the crewman landed a fine shot. Thrax's gun hand jerked away, but not before it discharged. Rachel felt a searing pain across the back of her neck, before she too hit the deck, hard.

Elsa, still conscious, was shouting Rachel's name, but she could barely hear her. Her entire life was playing out before her eyes. She was scared, scared beyond belief.

Something warm covered her hand. Looking over, she could faintly see Elsa reaching out and grasping her hand in hers.

She smiled. Suddenly, she wasn't scared anymore. Her mind was filled with beautiful memories of her best friend.

Her heart was light as she settled on the memory of their first meeting. The darkness began to consume her, and finally it was all around her, but still she smiled until there was nothing left, not even the warmth of Elsa's hand.


End file.
